what should I see and do while there?
We will be visiting for 2 weeks in April 2011. We have friends in Wellington who have recommended that we rent a caravan in Auckland and drive ourselves around to see the sights. We will probably only have time to visit the North Island this trip. So what should we do and see while there?
I’m a Southern Man[sup]TM[/sup] so can’t help much with the sights and sounds of the North Island but I agree with the advice to get a vehicle. Two weeks is about right to see one island, a lot of people try and cram the whole country into two weeks but you end up skipping a lot of stuff.
I don’t know- personally I think you can see NZ reasonably well in 2 weeks, but if you can stretch it to three that will give you a few extra days here and there.
In the North Island, you’ve got The Bay Of Islands which is really nice (Russell and Pahia especially), Rotorua (a must-see), Lake Taupo, and . Don’t waste any time with Auckland as there’s nothing really there for the foreign tourist (unless casinos are illegal where you live and/or you’ve never seen yachts or steel bridges before). Wellington is supposed to have a good cafe scene but I don’t recall seeing much there on my last visit that would make me want to come back in a hurry.
In the South Island, you’ve got Hanmer Springs (Hot pools, very relaxing!), the charm of Christchurch (but there’s not a staggering there for tourists either, so don’t spend too long there. The Arts Centre, the Trams, and cafes are nice though), and all that nice scenery everyone likes- Queenstown is where most of the “Touristy” stuff is- Lake Wanaka, Wanaka, the ski-fields, etc. You can also go whale-watching off the coast of Kaikoura (depending on the season) and if you’re just looking for a quiet place to put your feet up for a day or two and unwind then Akaroa is a really good place to start.
Oooh… thanks so much for the suggestions and the link. I wish we had time to visit the Southern Island as the scenery is so amazing there. Can anyone suggest a good book on New Zealand history/geography? I must admit I know little about it. The names are so different from every other place I’ve visited. Gonna have to get a grounding in Maori culture.
I’d agree with all of those. There’s also Tarawera, near Rotorua, which had a mini-Pompeii disaster 125 years ago.
In the Nth Island, either go to the east coast and Napier/Hastings; or the west coast and Taranaki (probably not time for both). And Tongariro is nice, though I’m not sure if April is its most picturesque time for it.
The South Island is the best place for scenery, whereas the North Island is the best for experiencing the Culture, both Maori and current.
So I’d say travel from Auckland north to Kaitaia, then south past the Bay of Islands and Waitangi, through Auckland again and then past Hamilton, up the Coromandel, stay there for a few days, then along the Bay of Plenty, across to Hawke’s Bay, stay there a few days, then in to Rotorua, stay there a few days to see Taupo and Tongariro, if you have time then go across to Taranaki, and then south to Wellington.
Or something like that.
Three things:
Firstly, it’s the South Island, not Southern Island.
Secondly, and in all seriousness, I’d strongly advise you to cut some days out of your North Island itinerary and at least get down to Christchurch or Queenstown. You won’t regret it, and after you’ve seen the Bay of Islands and Rotorua (and maybe Lake Taupo) you’ve really seen most of the “Important Stuff” in the North Island.
Thirdly, the Lonely Planet guidebook to NZ is pretty good but personally I find them (LP books) a little too “Lefty/Greenie” for my liking lately. The Wikipedia entry on New Zealand is actually a pretty good place to start IMHO.
One piece of advice I’ll offer you: If you’re trying to “fit in” and employing some of the local lingo, Do NOT- under any circumstances- refer to European New Zealanders as “Pakeha” without having established that they self identify as such. The word can be quite offensive to many white New Zealanders (as they see it having connotations of “Whitey/Cracker”, “White [del]Imperialist Running Dog[/del] Pig”, “Wigger”, etc) whilst many others embrace the term as part of NZ’s multicultural identity etc and their place therein.
Not to mention that many “white” New Zealanders have Maori ancestry and may self identify as part Maori.
Also very true. So yeah, don’t assume that every “White” New Zealander you see is a “Pakeha”.
Having said all that, New Zealanders really are a very friendly and welcoming people and you’ll no doubt have a great trip there!
I don’t have much to add but I echo the sentiment that you should see the South Island - I stayed in Queenstown around 2006 for a week or so and it was just beautiful. I was in awe of the scenery.
OK, I’ll lobby for a short trip to the South Island. Would a ferry from Wellington be a good idea? Or would that waste too much time better spent flying in?
I agree with everyone who’s told you to skip Auckland. It’s my home town, and I love it, but there’s nothing special about it for a tourist. Try to make it to the South Island for a few days, even just to Queenstown - it’s a stunning part of the country.
[slight hijack]When does the World Cup start? I was back home a few months ago - my parents live in Sandringham, a few minutes from Eden Park - and that whole part of Sandringham Rd is covered in roadworks. I can’t imagine that it will improve until just before it all kicks off. [/hijack]
I could cheerfully spend a fortnight tootling round Northland, but in April it will be getting a bit nippy for camping, and I know that some car hires won’t let you go further than the Bay of Islands.
Rotorua is either eally interesting or really awful. The geothermal stuff is excellent, the Maori cultural shows are less so. But I suspect a non-New Zealander would have a different take on them.
What are you interested in doing while you’re over? If you enjoy jumping off bridges and climbing mountains, we can provide for you. Likewise if you enjoy walking through forests/over mountains we have those in spades as well. If you’re more urban, Wellington’s got a bunch of lovely cafes and a small but well-formed theatre scene. Mind you, if you’re coming to visit from, say, New York or London then it will have less to offer you.
Missed the edit window:
From memory, the ferry takes you to Picton, which has been raining each time I’ve had occasion to pass through. I’m told by reliable sources that it’s lovely, so don’t let me put you off. I really like the north of the South Island - the Golden Bay/Farewell Spit area has beautiful beaches, but you might be better served by taking a flight to Christchuch and renting a car from there - it’s closer to the ‘Lord of the Rings’-style scenery. One thing to remember is that it’s worth bookng everything well in advance - there is a cheap airline (Pacific Blue, I think) but spur of the moment tickets can be costly (reason #902 why I love living in London - easy access to cheap flights).
Hi Manx. I’m coming from Southern California and am no fan of urban centers. I like rugged scenery and open spaces. I like to learn about a place’s history, geography, geology and indigenous cultures. I would be very interested to visit a working sheep farm and/or a woolen mill. I’m interested in traditional crafts and the people who make them. Also a nice cup of tea is always welcome.
In that case, you might consider skipping the North Island altogether. Wellington is right at the bottom of the North Island so you can start out there, hire a car, jump on the ferry to the South Island then make your way down toward Queenstown and Wanaka either down the east or west coast. The drive through the Arthur’s Pass between Christchurch and the west coast is nice. You could probably finish in Christchurch and fly back from there. The South Island has rugged alps pushing up through the middle of the island, the North Island is softer and greener. If you get to the west coast of the South Island, don’t be put off by the rain, some parts get about 6 - 7 meters of rainfall annually which means it’s often wet but the mixture of rain and mountains means lots of beautiful waterfalls, lakes, and rain forest. BTW it is only the west coast that gets the high rainfall, the westerly weather patterns and dividing ranges mean that all the rain gets dumped on the west side of the alps, the eastern side is relatively dry and there is a distinct line where the rain vegetation gives way to dry mountain tussock.
If you get to Christchurch, then you must- MUST- take the TranzAlpine Express to Greymouth. It’s one of the World’s Great Train Journeys and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
Also, the Cook Strait Ferry (between Wellington and Picton) isn’t cheap if you’ve got a car with you, and there’s not really a lot of interest between Picton and Christchurch (besides maybe Kaikoura, which is a pleasant enough place). I’d advise saving time and just flying to Christchurch, from whence you can rent a car and enjoy the South Island’s scenery.
I think Richard Pearse nailed it. The North Island isn’t an industrial wasteland, and has some beautiful places, but the South Island will probably deliver you more of what you’re after, from the sound of it.
I don’t know about visiting a sheep farm - I’m sure it’s done, it’s just not something I have any experience with. I know that people can do farm stays, where they work on a farm, and the length of time for these varies, though I think three days might be the minimum. A quick google gives me New Zealand farmstay accommodation guide, NZ farmstays, which has more information.
In terms of Maori culture, this might be where the North Island has the advantage. I find the Te Papa museum (in Wellington) a bit, um, interactive for me, but it’s got an pretty good introduction to Maori culture both before and after European arrival. It’s in Taranaki, so it would be at least a day trip. **Martini Enfield **- you’re the Southern Man here, anything you’d recommend?
whoops! Richard Pearse is the Southern Man[sup]TM[/sup]! Apologies to you both.
Also I should clarify - Taranaki is in the lower part of the North Island. So it would be difficult to get there as well as comfortably travel through the South Island. Also, further googling suggests that the school trip I went on, lo these many years ago isn’t available to the public. So, um, forget I mentioned it.
When I visited New Zealand back in '03, I especially enjoyed my time on the South Island. I suggest reading up on the touristy stuff you can do around Queenstown, Te Anau, and the Franz Josef Glacier.
And things like that help explain why the nice Maori chap I met on a bridge at Whakarewarewa geo-thermal park asked this pale-as red-bearded Kiwi what Iwi I belonged to. “Ummm… Ngati Pakeha”. 
Suggested it to others here on the Dope before, and I’ll once again heartily recommend a trek through the Waimangu valley as part of a Rotorua excursion – took a day trip a few years back that when through Waimangu, across Lake Rotomahana, to the buried village, and after other places ended up relaxing in hot water at the Polynesian Spa. It was a very nice day.